The club was formed in 1880, under the name of St. Mark’s, after an initiative by Arthur Connell (the rector of St Mark’s Church) and his daughter, Anna Connell. After calling them self Gorton FC and Ardwick AFC for shorter periods, they would change their name to Manchester City in 1894. This coincides with some financial troubles that eventually led to restructuring of the club. The name change – combined with moving to the spacious grounds of Hyde Road a couple of years later – saw Man City become the most popular club in the city, with an enthusiastic fan base that followed them wherever they went. This rise in stature led to the club earning promotion to the First Division in 1899.
Shortly after City had claimed their first trophy in 1904 (FA Cup), seventeen of their players were suspended due to allegations of financial misconduct; this led to the club’s star player, Billy Meredith, moving across town to United, where he later won two league titles. In 1923, the club moved to Maine Road due to a fire that had destroyed the main stand at Hyde Road.
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